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Eating the Farm in Wine Country

Jenna Scatena | Photo: Courtesy Pie Ranch | March 18, 2015

Two great places to work up and appetite—and then satiate it.

Pie Ranch

Here in SF, we clearly love our farm-to-table ingredients. So much so, that we’ve come to expect each new restaurant to abide by the philosophy. But it often seems the only thing us urbanites forage for ourselves is for an open table on a Friday night. Luckily, an increasing number of farms, hotels, and restaurants are opening their gates for city slickers to have a chance to mill around in the dirt for their own food.

The most recent property to do so is the Carneros Inn in Napa. The name of the inn’s restaurant, FARM, already alludes to the acres of produce for meals at their disposal, but they’ve put their own twist on it by letting guests pick ingredients for cocktails. During the foraging mixology experience, you’ll claw through dirt in the chef’s garden and orchards for garnishes, herbs, and fruits. Throughout the spring expect to pluck mission figs and fruiting quince from the trees and source French lavender and mint from the ground. Once you bring your bounty back to the restaurant, learn how to shake up a new cocktail then reap your reward on the outdoor patio.

Down in the Pescadero, Pie Ranch is cooking up is hosting a workday and farm dance this Saturday. Check in at the Roadside Barn and meet your work crew for the day. BYO gardening tools and get your hands dirty cutting plants and harvesting springtime fruits, vegetables, and herbs on their 27-acre farm. After a hard days work, the barn gets packed for a pot luck dinner and dancing.